Ash Ketchum: Master Detective, Book Two: Fathers
by MatchesMassa
Summary: Summary: When Team Rocket suddenly rebands after 20 years of retirement, Ash is called on to disrupt whatever plans they have. At the same time, Ash's father walks back into his life, and Ash is Not Amused! Tune in every Monday and Thursday for new chapters!
1. Chapter 1: Grunt Work

Ash Ketchum: Master Detective

Book Two: Fathers

"Jeez Louise, would you two hurry up!" Grunt Joe said back to Grunt Terry and I.

"We're comin'!" Terry yelled back, "_You _gotta slow down! Boss says if we're caught we're out on our asses!" I looked at them both, and placed a finger at where my lips would be under my ski mask.

"Shhh!" I then spoke in a loud whisper, "You guys are being too loud!

"Whatever," Terry said, "Where is this thing anyways? I wanna get it and go!"

"Same hea'," I said, "What'd da boss say again?"

"What were ya sleepin' durin' the briefing, Dave?" Joe said, slapping me in the back of the head. I held back my urge to punch him square in the face, resigning myself to go the 'Dave way.'

"Ow Joe, what did ya do that foaa'?!" I cried, rubbing my head.

"Listen, Dave: You and I go into this room here, while Terry stays out here and keeps watch. We sneak in, steal the package, and get the Hell outta here!" Joe said, finally catching his breath.

"Oh, Gotcha!" I said back, faking enthusiasm. Still, I wondered what this package was. I wished I had my notepad, I would have _loved_ to write that down.

"Okay," Grunt Joe turned to Terry, "If you see anyone comin' down one of these hallways here, you yell 'Spaghetti!' okay?"

"_Spaghetti_, Joe?" Terry asked.

"Yeah, Spaghetti," Joe replied, walking away and leading me to the door that lead to a room called the 'Phlebotanium Room.'

"What's Phlebotanium?" I asked with a whisper. Our feet made noticeable clanking echoes on the metal floor, and we tried shuffling lighter as a result.

"C'mon Dave, do you forget everything from the briefing?" Joe asked, whispering but still a bit louder than I'd been.

"Uhhh…" I said eloquently.

"Phlebotanium is…" He paused when suddenly we both heard footsteps coming from somewhere in the building.

"Uh oh," I said.

"C'mon Dave, we gotta hide!" He then looked towards the door and let out a small tweeting sound. A second later, Terry comes running in.

"Spaghetti! Spaghetti Spaghetti, oh God Spahgetti!" Terry was frantic and Dave had to shake him slightly.

"Shut up you idiot! C'mon!" We then ran to a large supply closet on the side of the room and hid in with all the strange smelling medicines and boxes of goggles. Suddenly, we noticed the lights had been turned on on the other side of the door. We heard footsteps clanking on the metal floors ours did. We heard laughter and then the sound of voices, both male.

"Haha, I know right? Old MC Mudkip was way better than he is now." Said one of the men.

"Especially _Water Gunz_. Best LP ever," the other man said, resulting an what sounded like the clap of a high-five.

"Alright, I just wanted to check this room and lock up for the night," So they were guards, apparently, "I thought I heard something in here."

"Eh, it was probably one of the Pokemon got loose. I ain't goin' lookin' for 'im."

"Oh, definitely not. I'm not trying to miss _Sandshrew & Son_." I heard one of the sets of footsteps move closer to the closet. "I'm just going to check the closet real quick."

Cue 'Oh Crap!'s" from each of us. I looked at the doorknob and noticed there was a little button on it. A locking mechanism from the inside, maybe?

The footsteps came closer until they finally stopped in front of the door. His shadow hung through the bottom like a sheet laid out before us. Still looking at the knob, I heard him grab it and saw it jiggle a bit. I shut my eyes tight.

I heard it jiggle some more. Then the jiggling ceased.

"Huh, it's locked." The guard closest said.

"Good, that must mean someone checked it and locked it for us, let's totally just _leave._" The other two grunts and I all sighed, relieved.

"No way dude, It's cool, I'll check real quick, I have a key." Cue 'Oh shit!' looks from each of us.

"Fuck that, let's _go_! Strip club!" The other guard prodded.

"Strip club?" The key-guard responded.

"Strip club. Let's goo-o-o!"

"Oh… alright. Come on," He withdrew his key and walked off. The two walked towards the exit, closed the door behind them, and I heard the door lock as they left.

"I think I might have pee'd a little." Terry said.

"Disgusting!" I barked as I jumped away from him.

"It was only dribbles…" Terry looked down.

"Shut up, you two, y'want 'em to come back?!" Joe slapped us both.

"Sorry," Terry mumbled.

"Uh, yeah…" I said. I was about ready to just ditch these fools.

We walked out of the closet carefully, each peering out and looking around before we stepped out. I walked around the room, patting the wall looking for a light-switch. I finally found one, and the room lit up bright enough to cause cries of pain from each one of us.

"Jeez Louise!" Joe cried.

"There it is!" Terry cried, pointed to a large tube at the end of the room. It was more like a tank of bubbling blue liquid. It was what was inside the liquid that made me gasp.

It was steel plated armor. More like armored pads and a helmet. There were wrist and shoulder guards, as well as armor for the ankles and the aforementioned helmet that had openings on top. There were chords and wires coming out of the back, that fed into the top of the tube into what seemed to be some kind of life-support system. There was nobody in the armor, so I assumed it was just for diagnostics of some sort.

"_This_ is what the boss wanted?" I asked.

"Yup. Do you know what this is?" Joe asked.

"No." I said.

"Every Rocket remembers this, kid!" Terry said.

"Uh, well, I'm new." I said.

"New, huh?" Joe turned to look at me. "Is that right?"

"Uhh...well, I'm not the _newest_. Just kinda new." I put my left hand behind my back.

"Who the hell are you?" Joe asked. "You're not Dave. I can see it in the light. You're like, a foot shorter, and way too skinny." Too skinny? Wow, rude.

I waited before responding. Suddenly, Joe ran towards me, about to go for a left hook. I quickly ducked, removed the gun from my hidden back holster, shot my hand upwards, with the handle of the gun popping Joe directly in the chin. I stood up, pistol whipped the grunt, and once he fell over unconscious, I looked towards Terry, and pointed the barrel at him.

"Don't move, loser." I said cruelly. "I got some questions for you."

"Wh-who are you…?" He asked, falling to his knees with his hands in the air.

"Shut up. Answer my questions, NOW." I yelled, cocking the gun intimidatingly.

"Okay! Okay! Don't kill me! Are you a cop?" He was frantic now. Perfect.

"Shut up. I want to know why Team Rocket is back all of a sudden. What do they want with this armor!" I shouted, pointing backwards at the tank.

"The-The Boss-" He began.

"Giovanni? He's still alive?" I asked with shock.

"I-I don't know! He never shows his face! B-but it sounds like him!" Terry had noticeably peed a little bit more. So gross. "I-I don't know what the armor is for. He just told us to get it!"

"Where is he located?!" I yelled.

"I-I...I can't tell you that." He said.

"Sure you can, it's easy," I pointed the gun at him, flicking the hammer menacingly with my thumb. The grunt started to panic. Suddenly, I saw his eyes quickly flicker to the left of me, seemingly looking at something that wasn't me. I turned quickly, when I saw Joe standing behind me, his arm in the air behind his head, holding a nightstick. I tried shifting to the side, but he caught my shoulder as he came down, nearly making me drop my gun. I gripped it firmly.

"Shit!" I cried.

"Terry, get the armor and phase out! I'll handle this prick and then I'll meet you at the Factory!" Joe yelled. Terry nodded. I looked at him, ready to shoot, when Joe knocked the gun out of my hands and clean across the room. Joe had me squared up, and I realized he wouldn't let me retrieve it, or stop Terry without a fist fight.

As I tried to incapacitate Joe, Terry had successfully removed the armor from it's tube.

"What is that thing _for_?!" I asked angrily as I delivered a blow to Joe's gut.

"Oof! Ffff-fuck you!" He growled as he tackled me, flattening me on my back. I grabbed him in my legs, flipped us over and placed my left hand on Joe's neck, pressing lightly on his Adam's apple. I then delivered a swift blow to his head, hopefully knocking him out. I stood up and ran towards Terry. Suddenly, right before my eyes, he disappeared in a flash of blue light. Right then, he was gone.

"What the…" I stopped, staring at the spot where the grunt once stood. I turned back to Joe, and finding him still there, conked out was a bit of a relief. I raised my wrist upwards to speak into the microphone built in.

"Global Terminal Lab secure, Commissioner," I hesitated slightly. "One of them got away with the package though. I have one detained with me. Over." I walked over to Joe and placed a foot on his back, bending over to cuff him. I heard a buzz from my wrist device.

"_Chhk-At least we have one of 'em. Bring him back to the station for questioning, over._"

"Sure thing." I droned. "Can I get a ride up there, or do I have to lug this guy on my bike? Over."

"_Relaaaax, Ash. Some patrol cars are on their way now. But come to my office when you get back to the station, okay?" _ I perked up.

"For?" I asked. "And you didn't say over, over."

"_Shut up, you idiot. Over!_" Jenny barked, cutting the feed.

"Jeez… women, huh?" I asked the unconscious man that lay on the floor. "Still… why has Team Rocket returned? What did they want with that armor…"

I had a feeling that I wouldn't like the answers when I found out.

Team Rocket had been disbanded for around two decades now. Giovanni retired, apparently reformed, to a big house on one of the Orange Islands. After serving his 10 years in jail, he apparently wanted to live the rest of his days out of the public eye, in peace. We all knew he was funding little "side projects" under the table. But he was out of our reach, and there was little to any proof. He covered his tracks well. Finally, people stopped noticing him all together, and he become nothing but a memory.

Why would he come back now? Just to start another war?

I hoped to whatever thing in the sky that would listen: Please let Giovanni not be starting a war. We nearly lost the last one…

END OF CHAPTER ONE

_(MatchesMassa: Hey guys! Hope you like the first chapter of book two! I've got most of the plot all figured out, including ending, and whatnot, so I should be able to get chapters up on a semi-regular basis. I'll try for at least twice a week! Please read and review, and stay tuned!)_


	2. Chapter 2: Old and Worn

_MatchesMassa: Helloo0o0o! I'd like to thank __Pinkbubble13__, __AshliiofPallet__, __krikanalo__, and __image of nothing_ _for their lovely reviews, feedback and advice. I've taken all of your collective feedback and happily have been trying to integrate it into my story. I feel bad for misleading people into thinking the last story would end with pokeshipping love but, as you can see, this is a Noir tale and these things rarely work out but...I'm not saying THIS book will end with love but I will say.. this won't be the final book in the series, and I do have plans, so please stay tuned :) Enjoy~_

**CHAPTER TWO**

It wasn't a long drive back to the station after that. The cool evening air splashed against my face as I leaned out the window. The stars had abandoned the city, thanks to all the bright lights, and all that was left was blackened night. The beat cop that had picked me up hadn't spoken much since his arrival. I was thankful for that. On nights like this, I found it comforting to get lost in my own thoughts. Tonight, I wasn't comforted at all. I had been plagued by 'what-ifs' and 'whens'.

Giovanni Sakaki. Born and raised in Kanto, I met him a long time ago when I was only a child. Back then, I had no idea what he was up to, scheming and sticking Jessie and James on me everyday, trying to get my Pikachu. All I knew was that he was bad news, needed to be stopped.

But like the rat he was, he never managed to get stopped for long. Wind up in jail? Bribe a guard. Hell, recruit him, Giovanni will pay more! In later years, after the disbandment of Team Rocket, he struggled to keep his empire afloat. He turned to selling weapons overseas, mostly to Orre and Kalos. Orre was a problem, though. Guns were the last thing those people needed.

Orre and Kalos were constantly at odds. Team Cipher and Team Flare constantly butted heads, and eventually, Team Cipher rounded up a bunch of folks, strapped a couple bombs to them, and then attempted to blow up the Tower of Mastery. They failed, instead destroying a couple of small buildings, but this did nothing to prevent the people of Kalos from getting extremely upset. A war was brewing, and Kanto, Johto, all of us in the East… well, we could only watch in horror.

I was just starting out in the academy when this was all going down. I was around 19-ish, maybe closer to 20. Recaps were on the news every day, the media only making people panic. "They might strike here, next!" they'd say. "Hide your kids!"

None of us knew Giovanni caused all of it, until around a year later, when the leader of Team Cipher was detained. He sang like a canary, and Giovanni was officially in trouble. He went on the lamb for a couple years, before finally apparently disappearing off of the face of the Earth. Eventually, sightings of him in the Orange Islands sprang up, and when they found him, well wouldn't you know it? Birth certificates, blood tests, social security numbers...all saying that he was a Mr. Roger Sagaki, raised on the Sevii Islands, moved out to the Orange Islands recently. Everything checked out.

We all knew it was him. That it was that scheming bastard Giovanni. But in the eyes of the law, he wasn't. There was no way to prove it. So they let him be. I heard that he was a recluse these days, staying in his giant fortified mansion, overlooking the Islands, keeping a watchful eye on the sea, and thus, the world. Maybe he had changed. Maybe he wanted a fresh start. But monsters like him didn't deserve fresh starts, only bitter ends. He'd evaded his for a long time, but if he actually had the balls to return… well.

I'd make sure he'd meet his end, rotting in jail for the rest of his days. No guards. Just a dark room with no windows. No noise. Nothing but himself and his sins.

It wasn't just his crimes against humanity that bothered me. He was notoriously cruel to Pokémon. I'll never forget about the bondage he put Mewtwo through, turning him briefly into the monster that made him nearly destroy the world. He'd also reformed, his own reformation being genuine. But Giovanni couldn't let him be. He hunted him, determined to own the strongest being in the world, control it, and make it conquer the world for him. Mewtwo evaded capture, but none of us ever saw him again.

"Hey, uh, Detective?" Asked the patrolman driving, "You alright, sir?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine Officer…" I paused.

"Thompson sir," He replied with a nod. He was one of the few officers I'd seen with dark skin and hair. Probably from Orre. "This is actually my first week on the job."

"I see. Well, welcome to Hell," I joked, causing Officer Thompson to cringe slightly. "I'm kidding. Goldenrod is a good city to start your career. I was a beat cop here myself about six years back."

"I'd like to someday be in your league, Detective Ketchum," Said Thompson.

"Rule one, nobody likes a kiss-ass," I replied, Thompson nodded. This kid was like a bird, just fallen out of the nest, "Rule two...just work hard. Do your job, focus on where you're at now. If you do it well, you might make homicide, maybe even Vice one day. Where'd you go to school kid?"

"Born and raised in Phennac City in Orre sir, attended the police academy there, and moved out to Johto as soon as I graduated." He turned the wheel left, taking us down past Johnson Ave, closer towards the station.

"So, you grew up during the War?" I asked.

"..Yes sir," He nodded. "After the war, Orre became a depressing place to live. I wanted to get out here, where things weren't so blight."

"On these streets, Thompson...you always gotta look on the blight side." I sighed. "We got rapists, murderers, kid-touchers, all the classics. Everywhere has their share of problems, underneath the shiny surface of it all."

I saw Thompson take that in. He'd understand it fully after about a year. If he didn't kill himself or quit the force, I'm sure he'd make a fine cop. He did endure the War as a child after all.

Finally, we made it to the station. I stepped out of the car, and closed the door behind me. Looking down through the window, I spoke to Officer Thompson once more.

"Tell Detainment to bring the Grunt to a cell. I'll deal with him after I talk to the Boss Lady, alright?" I asked.

"Yes, sir." Thompson nodded. I walked away, towards the entrance of the building. The door creaked as I opened it, walking inside. I was greeted by a Jenny, sitting behind her desk. She smiled at me and I nodded back.

"Is the Commissioner in her office?" I asked. The secretary Jenny wore a low-cut V-neck shirt, that, if it were cut any lower, well, it would have been a belt. I nearly broke my neck trying to keep my eyes on hers.

"Yes, Detective, she's expecting you." She smiled with a wink. I had been getting more attention from the Jennies lately. I didn't know why, and I didn't care. They were all the same to me. Well, of course, except the Commissioner. She and I were good friends.

I walked upstairs, passing desks littered with papers that spilled onto the floor. I tried to avoid them, like a child pretending the floor was lava, but there were too many, and I might have left a footprint on one or two. I eventually made it the the Commissioner's office and I knocked.

"Come on iiiin!" I heard from the other side. It was the over emphasized call of a woman expecting.

I made my way inside the rather large private office. The blinds had been closed on the windows, blocking the night sky from view. The Commissioner had listened to public radio, and had lowered the volume when I walked in.

"Hey, Jen," I greeted, "Got a Grunt holed up in holding downstairs. Was gonna se if I could get some info out of him before I clocked out."

"Don't worry about it. Let him stew in there for the night, you can talk to him in the morning. It's late. What are your plans for tonight?" She asked.

Jenny wasn't in her usual uniform. She was wearing a dress, that well, looked like she had been poured into. Her bust-line wasn't as prominent as the Secretary downstairs, but it was still there. The dress was a long dark blue number that extended to just below her knees. If anything, Jenny had modesty.

"I was just going to kick back, maybe take Pikachu for a night-walk," I replied, leaning back against the door frame, crossing my arms. "Maybe try to catch some Buzzball highlights. How about you? Looks like you've got something fancy planned."

"I was going to go out for a couple of drinks with some of the Jennies downstairs...why don't you come along." She stood up out of her chair, and then sat down on her desk.

"I don't think so," I said, shrugging. "I'm trying to cut back on my drinking."

"Ash," She said, "We both know that you're going to drink when you get home. Might as well be social about it." Jenny pouted a bit, sticking out her lower lip. "Come on, you haven't hung out with me for weeks."

I looked over dress clung to her hips, like a napkin wrapped around a wine glass that had been flipped over. She only dressed like this when she went out to drink, other wise it was either the uniform, or sweatpants and a t-shirt. Her light blue hair was hanging low, cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall. It sure matched the color of one.

"I don't know." I said, looking away. "I really wanna know what this guy downstairs was up to…"

I didn't even hear her walk over to me. She placed a hand on my cheek and turned my head to face her.

"Stop being a baby," She said, "Come out and have some fun. Lord knows you're overworking yourself and you need it. Please?" I rolled my eyes and slumped back with a heave and a sigh.

"Fine, sure, whatever," I said, "I'll go to the locker rooms downstairs and change into my streets, but I'm not gonna look as fancy as you guys."

"You look fine, don't worry!" She said with a smile, patting my head. "It'll be good to get your mind off of...whatserface."

She meant Misty. I had brooded about her getting married since I found out, over six months ago. These things happen. You grow apart from people you were once so close with, and before you know it, boom. They're married, have a steady job and are way happier than you are. It sucked, I have to admit, knowing I was beat to the punch.

Misty Waterflower. The only girl I ever loved. But...well, there would be no romance between us I suppose. Not unless the divorce rates in this country were painfully exact. Nope, no romance. Romance...is a bus that pulled up to the station and went on through. I wasn't a scheduled stop, what can I say?

Fresh out of a shower in the locker room, I sat on a bench. Looking at my shoes, old and worn, I couldn't help but feel the same way: Old and worn. I was 27 and I felt 47. My birthday passed 3 months ago, and it, like most, came and went. I woke up the next day with a hangover, except I was a year older. Same shit, different age. I stood up and looked at the mirror. I hadn't put my shirt on yet. I was still pretty fit, I did much jogging and went to MMA classes on weekends. My body looked healthy but looking up at my face well… let's just say, I was running out of youthful energy. I looked like I'd hit the bottle one to many times, both figuratively and literally. I touched the scar on the top of my forehead. The one I got from…

From that rabid Jigglypuff. I didn't notice at the time, I guess it was the adrenaline, but apparently it had bit me. Sure, I was treated for rabies and the like, came out clean but...scars are forever. This one being a visual reminder of the blood that stained my hands. I'd never killed a Pokémon before. Never thought it'd be an unwilling pawn at that. But life goes on. For some of us, easier than others.

I put on my black t-shirt, slipped into some blue jeans and packed my uniform back into my locker. I was going out for the first time in weeks, but I dressed the same as ever. Trying to show a little effort, I tried combing my black hair, but with no gel or anything it never stayed in place, instead staying the violent mess it always had been. I shrugged and exited the locker room. I met Jenny outside, with a couple of others who whistled at my appearance. I rolled my eyes, as we all got into a cab.

**END OF CHAPTER TWO**


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